Nike - Flyknit Trainer Review

Firstly I really must say a big THANK YOU to @Simon_Freeman and Kerry from @NikeRunning for giving me the opportunity to try out and test out the new Nike Flyknit trainers. It was a great and thoroughly enjoyable experience.which was very much appreciated . A real eye opener into another part of the running world. 

I have been running regularly for six years now and noticed initially buying new trainers and looking at gait analysis machines I was a classic heel striker which, with this style of running I felt slowed me down and unfortunately brought slight over pronation into my stride. This meant when buying running trainers I was advised to avoid injury, I needed trainers with a mild support to compensate my ankle as it was rolling inwards just a little too much and towards the end of a half or full marathon event this pronation would get worse as i got weaker. In this case, using Asics 11 series trainers were my chosen choice of trainers when I started running.

Having recently observed faster runners than me with the aim to get as fast as them one day, I had noticed that with their style of running their foot planted on the floor mid to forefoot which prompted me into attempting to change my running style to theirs, to achieve this faster way of running. With this change in style, I felt I needed help with this change and looked at Newton’s Sir Isaac S to teach me to running forefoot. This transformation was very slow which resulted in quite a few calf injuries but once my muscles finally adapted that I could confidently run forefoot for half a marathon distance I felt I had used ‘Newton’s’ as far as i could and as a way of learning the forefoot art. I have no complaints using Newton’s as they really are a good brand of trainer but having recently spent time at a gait analysis centre for my new style of running I should now confidently be able to pick from a variety of ‘neutral’ shoes without need for support or guidance that Newton’s gave me to landing in the forefoot position. This now opens up my choice of trainers to a much wider market and not just restrict me to this one brand?

 Which is where using Nike Flyknits were perfectly timed for me to make this change. I had first seen the promotion of the new Flyknit trainers on social media websites and blogs that I read and feel any keen runner could be interested in new technology to aid us into achieving much sought after smoother running and the holy grail of achieving personal best race times. I had my trainers delivered and quickly signed the receipt of delivery. Upon opening my box and lifting out a shoe, I was immediately surprised and shocked at the weight of this one shoe. I prefer to run slightly longer races 10miles, half marathon/marathons and the first criteria I look for in any shoe is its weight! I am not overly keen on any shoe that is quite heavy that would make the latter part of any race that little bit more difficult, lifting heavy legs then heavy trainers I personally would never consider. Taking the Flyknits out of their box immediately got a thumbs up from me and upon using Google to find out the weight of these trainers astounded me. They are so much lighter then my current pair at an amazing 160KG! A weight that I never would have thought would have been possible to achieve by reducing the weight of a trainer by so much! My current pair of trainers weighs 258KG which I think feels pretty good so suddenly to lift a pair of trainers out from there box which are even lighter! Is a nice surprise and currently the Nike Flyknits must surely be one of the lightest shoes out there on the market?



The trainer are made from a woven material hence its advertising of FlyKNIT, which is the key advantage in the trainer in achieving  a reduction in its overall weight but hopefully not at the expense of comfort? Using my usual running socks I was surprised how comfortable the shoe were as I walked around my front room wearing them. Still amazed at there weight, they felt really comfortable when comparing them to my usual pressure points that I’ve felt using my current pair of trainers. I was particularly pleased with how well the trainer felt as it rested under my anklebone. With the laces pulled tight, it wasn't too loose and didn't pinch against my foot. I think this is due to the woven material and the wall of the trainer itself being thinner all over which must keep your feet cool in the summer but probably may need to consider wearing thicker socks in the winter? Being a little nosy I then checked the retail price and could then see why they felt so good. They currently retail at £130.

“A Hundred and Thirty Pounds” I hear you scream! Yes but before you click off this page, honestly…. Please carry on reading. Most of I assume pay your annual subscription to a running club and from various running shops would be able to obtain a 10% discount! Even so, these trainers would now cost you £117… but with good reasons these shoes do have a place on the market that no other brand of trainer can currently compete with, so please continue reading for a little bit longer. I may be able to give you some food for thought?

As you can see I have the green version but the Nike Flyknits come in Green, Orange, Grey and Red colours, then again through NikeID you can design your own! Although the green version really does stand out in the crowd, I have and will never really use the appearance of a running shoe to influence my decision to purchase them. As long as I feel comfortable in my trainers and no issues using them were to arise perhaps due to injury, any appearance will never be top of my agenda to purchase any brand of trainer.

It’s fine wearing a trainer indoors but the time comes where we need to venture outside. I have used my trainers on the pavements of London, running too or from work looking out for the odd raised curb to avoid. I had planned a schedule leading up to the 2013 London marathon, which consisted of runs as short as half an hour up to two and a half hours. The longer runs were aimed at sustaining my marathon pace while shorter runs were harder and faster as I tried to improve my speed work using intervals and tempo runs. The weather conditions for this time of year have not been great (if not appalling) and I have had to run in many sub degree cold mornings. On rare occasions I may have been blessed with dry weather but was more often been cold, wet, windy to the extreme slippery frosty mornings. Even in these conditions, the grip from the trainer as I planted my foot really stuck quite firmly to the ground. The variety of routes I can run into work have in the past a thrown up few issues where the conditions have caught me out to the point where I’ve had to make a mental note for next time round as I approach the same part of my planned route. Using the Flyknits gave me the confidence in planting my foot and with it holding firmly really impressed me, even a simple test such as taking a 90-degree corner. With my new traction control under foot the grip helped with pushing off and taking the next stride helping with my forward propulsion thus maintaining my speed! and as we know maintaining speed will mean a reduction in mile times!

A few weeks of runs had passed and having tested out my Flyknits initially on variety of runs this is the area where the £117 Flyknits now come into a world of their own. I'm not sure if you are aware but these trainers can be "steamed" and if you were to buy a pair I really think you should do this! By steaming them, as if by magic softens the trainer material and as you place you foot inside and the material cools and then moulds to the shape of your own foot! By moulding these trainers now differentiates the £117 worth of trainer between the next brand on the market and my foot shape compared to yours and even the next persons. A trainer now specifically tailored to your own foot shape. Getting them steamed was an eye opener for me and feel it’s a huge step forward! I therefore ventured up to Nike Town at Oxford Street and enquired about having them steamed. I spoke to a floor manager who informed me the steaming machine is know longer in store, as it’s being used on presentations as it’s touring Europe but will one day return to store. He did suggest (Quite surprisingly)…. I use a steam from an Iron, which should generate enough heat to soften the Flyknits before I am able to mould the shoe to the shape of my foot….. I must admit.... I looked at him not sure, if he was genuinely advising me or taking the Mick? However, that evening I took the plunge. My wife and children were looking at me like I had gone mad as I spent a few minutes Iron in one hand trainer in the other heating them up, before I stood in them pressing down onto my feet and literally, before my eyes saw them mould to the shape of my foot. Once cooled an already comfortable shoe now felt more like a slipper! I have heard many stories of elite runners having specially designed shoes for their running style with expensive orthotic moulds put in place and now these trainers give me the comfort and confidence to go out running and spend more time focussing on other areas of my running other than what my feet are doing below is surely another plus point?

My Flyknits after i steamed them my Tefal iron

People may gasp at the price of the trainers compared to some cheaper models but here I feel people would fall into one of two categories. Either a casual runner that would be happy to buy a cheaper brand just to finish events or a you’re a more serious runner trying to get the most out of their training to help you in races to achieve goals you’ve set yourself. I still feel I can improve my race times and as my previous pair were in a similar price bracket anyway the benefits the Flyknits have been lighter in weight and now I can individualise moulding to your shape of your own feet is a genius idea and one that should be highly considered. I am not sure many people are aware of this technology and its benefits?. With the machine at Oxford Street not present, I feel lucky now that I was advised to use an iron! However I would have preferred to have my trainers steamed properly by a machine and probably had a little shop supervision from a more knowledgeable assistant. Once the steam machine returns to the store I do intend to use this machine and maybe have my trainers re-moulded. Upon using my Flyknits for an hour long run the following day was a very comfortable run indeed and wondered if I was actually wearing moccasins?

I feel the Nike Flyknits are aimed at the top end of running market and I don’t think just through word of mouth a more lighter shoe than it’s rivals may not be enough to convert people to buy this brand, especially if they are loyal to the brand they currently use. For me personally, weight is a priority in purchasing my trainers but to the next runner it may not be? I think the reduction in weight with the trainer is more than enough for like minded people to show an interest in this style of trainer but feel the advantage Nike has over other brands, will be to alert people and to get customers to steam their trainers as soon as possible. Moulding them to each customers own foot shape would be like having every runners own fingerprints in our trainers. Wearing this a more comfortable shoe I feel is the key. If someone is willing to spend this amount on a pair of trainers should then have them individualised for extra comfort for the time it takes to apply steam to them I feel is a huge advantage. Very few people in the world are lucky enough that they can buy a trainer off the shelf that a foot specialist would confirm is 100% suitable to them. Having a trainer steamed to aid individuality and comfort along with a reduction in weight I would recommend these trainers to others. I probably would keep these as my racing pair, saving the best for when I need it most. I’m sure they would be fine for training in on a daily basis but for race day advantage the these Flyknits will certainly be packed into my kit bag.